Update before I hack this down to about 1/2 the height of the tank. I wish I had a better camera as you can kind of see (in person) how this is coming together. I am propagating most my red plants so they are not very evident in these pics. It's hard to tell in the pictures but everything is a bit more "flowing" and now the green actually look like they are surrounding the reds in a cool way. I hope after this trim, my vision starts to come together. The right side is just what it is, propagating my R. macrandra and not caring how it looks.

It took me a bit to snap some post trim pics. I cut really low in the hopes that everything starts filling out the way I want it so I can just maintenance trim. I am obviously lacking a lot of reds, that should come soon as I rarely buy more than a few stems and would rather propagate them. That way I don't spend $30 on a plant, just to pull it. I still need to do a front/midground but I really want to go slow on filling the rest out as I want way more plants that can fit.

My nesaea red is not seeming to color up well so I put some Alternanthera reineckii in to see how that will work. I would like to keep it as is but I don't really want some super hard to grow species in my tank. My Limnophila aromatica is not coloring up either and may be replaced. I know it's a totally different plant but I am thinking Cabomba palaeformis (I think that is what I have in another tank) may fit well.

Anyway, here are a few pics. Not at all there yet so I know this is a boring journal but I am purposely taking my time.

I disagree but I feel it's now coming along. I actually read through my whole journal and thought, I should have waited to start it, haha. But yeah, hopefully in about a month it will start to look like something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bserve

That purple bamboo looks lonely... I can help get it a partner if you want

Just cut it in half. I think once it puts off side shoots (already doing so), I will only need 2 stems.

Did you end up keeping your 60P? I watched some of your videos not to long ago. It's crazy to realize how big the age gap can be, made me feel old haha.

Tank looks better and better in increments. I know it's a work in progress, as with mine, but it's starting to take shape and a clearer direction. I think a foreground will add more dimension. What are you thinking of using there anyways?

Yeah I kept it. It's also nice to hear people like my videos it means a lot more to me than you'd think.

Trust me, I know. I am a musician and put out a lot of tutorial videos on how to do some technical things. Even though some of my videos have 30,000+ views, it's nice when someone actually tells me the video help them out, inspired them or they just take the time out to tell me they like them. Glad to hear you kept the 60P. Your setup is really nice, especially with no expensive equipment, etc.

Trust me, I know. I am a musician and put out a lot of tutorial videos on how to do some technical things. Even though some of my videos have 30,000+ views, it's nice when someone actually tells me the video help them out, inspired them or they just take the time out to tell me they like them. Glad to hear you kept the 60P. Your setup is really nice, especially with no expensive equipment, etc.

I have seen some of your videos. They're really cool. The light is expensive, though. Almost $400.

Tank looks better and better in increments. I know it's a work in progress, as with mine, but it's starting to take shape and a clearer direction. I think a foreground will add more dimension. What are you thinking of using there anyways?

I am not sure. I am leaning towards E. tenellus. The Hydrocotyle (japan I think) isn't carpeting low enough. On the flip side, the E. tenellus is getting a nice red. I have always had a fondness for E. tenellus but I wish their was a mini version.

That said, there are a few back ups. One is HM. I love this as a foreground but like E. tenellus, the scale is a bit big. The other is Belem but I don't know if it will look right in a dutch tank.

I personally feel like the foreground is most important so if I don't like something, it will go. It not only makes the tank look "mature", it also decides the scale.

I have seen some of your videos. They're really cool. The light is expensive, though. Almost $400.

That's funny if you like my videos because I purposely make them off the top of my head, no editing, etc, as many people who do what I do never show the time consuming steps. I am not a visual learner so my video's bore me haha.

As for your tank, I just meant you don't have high dollar equipment all around. That's a good thing. My 6 gallon is probably my favorite tank, some previous favorites were really not focused on anything but doing what I could do with the means I had to do it with.

That's funny if you like my videos because I purposely make them off the top of my head, no editing, etc, as many people who do what I do never show the time consuming steps. I am not a visual learner so my video's bore me haha.

As for your tank, I just meant you don't have high dollar equipment all around. That's a good thing. My 6 gallon is probably my favorite tank, some previous favorites were really not focused on anything but doing what I could do with the means I had to do it with.

So, I guess it would not be a journal if I did not show the bad. After the trim, which was pretty severe, I saw a bit of algae appear. Just some darker green slimy stuff on the lower leaves. I turned off my noon burst and everything kind of stayed the same.

Out of no where, I got hit with algae bad. I have the light green algae on the glass on a ton of dark green slimy algae on the leaves. Some of the not so hardy plants are really struggling. More concerning is that some plants are showing some major deficiencies. I just refilled my autodoser and from what I can tell, it's doing the same as always, I am just thinking I may have forgot to put in something.

Now, I can clean this up to look OK in about an hour but I am hoping I am not beginning a long term issue. As said, a lot of the lower leaves are absolutely covered in algae and I may loose some plants. We will have to see where this goes, things like this come up but I thought I was falling into a good rhythm here. Anyone who I promised some trimmings to, I think you may want to be patient haha.

So, I guess it would not be a journal if I did not show the bad. After the trim, which was pretty severe, I saw a bit of algae appear. Just some darker green slimy stuff on the lower leaves. I turned off my noon burst and everything kind of stayed the same.

Out of no where, I got hit with algae bad. I have the light green algae on the glass on a ton of dark green slimy algae on the leaves. Some of the not so hardy plants are really struggling. More concerning is that some plants are showing some major deficiencies. I just refilled my autodoser and from what I can tell, it's doing the same as always, I am just thinking I may have forgot to put in something.

Now, I can clean this up to look OK in about an hour but I am hoping I am not beginning a long term issue. As said, a lot of the lower leaves are absolutely covered in algae and I may loose some plants. We will have to see where this goes, things like this come up but I thought I was falling into a good rhythm here. Anyone who I promised some trimmings to, I think you may want to be patient haha.

That happend to me a bit ago... I did a large s repens trim and everything just seemed to go wrong. I lost more plants after the trim. Seems like something got unstable. :/ hope the best for ur tak.

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